Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

T. McDONNELL, Jr. FEED WATER HEATER.

No. 551,991. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

Gummy UNITED STATES ATENT muon- THOMAS MCDONNELL, JR., OF OOCKEYSVILLE,MARYLAND.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 551,991, datedDecember 24, 1895. Application filed April 23, 1895. Serial No. 546,904.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MoDoNNELL, J12, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cockeysville, in the county of Baltimore and Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFeed-W'ater Heaters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention is a device for heating feedwater for steam-boilers; and itconsists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a steam-boilerprovided with my improved feed-water heater, and Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

The boiler A is of the usual construction, and the water is supplied tothe same by a pump B in the ordinary manner. The pipe 0 leading fromthe'pump does not pass directly to the boiler, however, but communicateswith a transverse coil D arranged over the fire-chamber of the furnaceand passing' horizontally back and forth in the path of the flame andheat. projects to one side of the furnace and is closed by a plug or capE to facilitate the cleaning of the pipes. From the top branch, near theend thereof, a short vertical pipe rises to the height of one of thefire tubes of the boiler, at which point it is connected to a horizontalpipe F, which passes through said tube to the rear end of the boiler.This horizontal pipe F need not necessarily pass through the fire-tube,however, as it may pass over the top thereof in the path of the heat andother products of combustion, but the best results are obtainedbypassing it through the tube. The rear end of the pipe F is turneddownward, as shown at G, and communicates with the blow-offpipe Hbetween the boiler and the blow-off valve. The vertical pipe E isprovided with a Valve or stopcock I, as clearly shown.

The top branch of this coil The construction and arrangement of thedevice being thus made known, the operation of the same will be readilyunderstood.

The fire is kindled in the fire-chamber and the circulation of the heatis, as usual, toward the rear end of the furnace and thence forward overthe boiler and through the firetubes. The water is forced through thetransverse horizontal coil by the pump, and is consequently caused topass back and forth through the path of the heat at the point where thetemperature is highest, thus being heated before passing into the boilerso that the steam will be rapidly formed. The preliminary heating of thewater is continued up to the moment it enters the boiler as it passesfrom the transverse coil through one of the fire-tubes or over the topof the boiler in the path of the heat. The water being thus raised to ahigh temperature will be converted into steam very quickly afterentering the boiler, and a decided saving of fuel is thereby effected.By closing the valve I and removing the plug or cap E any sediment whichmay have accumulated in the coil will be rapidly blown out and the pipecleaned. If the blow-off valve be opened at the same time, the sedimentin the remaining portion of the pipe will be blown out and the entireapparatus thoroughly cleaned.

- The device is very cheap and simple, and its advantages are thought tobe obvious.

I am aware that various devices for heating feed-water prior to itsentrance to the boiler have been heretofore provided, and I make nobroad claim to such a device. My feed-water-heating apparatus is allinclosed by the walls of the furnace so that the heated water is at notime exposed to the cooling action of the atmosphere before entering theboiler. No steam-jets are required to maintain the circulation of thewater, and the apparatus may be readily and rapidly fitted to anyordinary steam-boiler.

r The apparatus is simplicity itself and carries the feed-Water throughalmost the entire path of the flame and products of combustion so thatthere is a decided rise in its temperature before it enters the boiler.The inflowing feed-water is not met at any point of its circulation bywater flowing from the boiler,

and consequently there is no eddyingfor arresting of the circulation dueto the meeting of different currents.

I Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

In a feed water heater, the combination with a furnace, of a feed watersupply pipe leading from a pump, and coiled back and forth directly overthe grate and directly in front of the boiler, the other end of saidpipe projecting outside the furnace wall and provided with a plug or capaffording adjustable means for attaching a blower, and an upwardlyextending pipe leading from the uppermember of the coil and providedwith a valve, and projecting into the front of the boiler, and thencethrough one of the tubes to the rear and there connected on the outsideand within the furnace wall with a short downwardly inclined pipe whichconnects with a horizontal pipe, one end of which pro jects into thelowest point of the boiler, and the opposite end being opened and closedby a valve which is used only when it is necessary to cleanse the pipes.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature iii-presence of two Witnesses.

H 7, THOMASMODONNELL, JR.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS BRADY, Josnrn A. MINNICH.

